#OCCUPYWALLSTREET update from Adbusters
Posted 12 years ago on Aug. 12, 2011, 11:52 a.m. EST by LupeFiascoConcert
http://www.occupywallstreet.org
http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet-update.html
Hey you rebels, radicals and utopian dreamers out there,
We are living through a rare crisis and moment of opportunity. Western industrialized nations are now being masticated by the financial monster they themselves created. This is triggering a mood that alternates between angry denial and sudden panic. It looks like something is about to break, opening the space for a necessary transformation and a total rethink of global economic affairs. Events are playing perfectly into our September 17 occupation of Wall Street.
So … can we on the left learn some new tricks? Can we head off to lower Manhattan with a fresh mindset and a powerful new demand?
Strategically speaking, there is a very real danger that if we naively put our cards on the table and rally around the "overthrow of capitalism" or some equally outworn utopian slogan, then our Tahrir moment will quickly fizzle into another inconsequential ultra-lefty spectacle soon forgotten. But if we have the cunning to come up with a deceptively simple Trojan Horse demand … something profound, yet so specific and doable that it is impossible for President Obama to ignore … something that spotlights Wall Street's financial capture of the US political system and confronts it with a pragmatic solution … like the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act … or a 1% tax on financial transactions … or an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into the corporate corruption of our representatives in Washington … or another equally creative but downright practical demand that will emerge from the people's assemblies held during the occupation … and if we then put our asses on the line, screw up our courage and hang in there day after day, week after week, until a large swath of Americans start rooting for us and President Obama is forced to respond … then we just might have a crack at creating a decisive moment of truth for America, a first concrete step towards achieving the radical changes we all dream about unencumbered by commitments to existing power structures.
So, let's learn the strategic lessons of Tahrir (nonviolence), Syntagma (tenacity), Puerta del Sol (people's assemblies) and lay aside adherence to political parties and worn-out lefty dogmas. On September 17, let's sow the seeds of a new culture of resistance in America that fires up a permanent democratic awakening.
See you on Wall St. Sept 17. Bring Tent.
for the wild, Culture Jammers HQ
Here is a quick overview of what I saw at Occupy LA yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAybyOxQeg4
Campaign finance, for any political party, has totally corrupted our system and taken away our rights. It is time to start fighting back because it will only get worse if we don’t. Any corporate or lobbying finance corrupts the system. They can have their say without the bribery. Also look at the output of US workers compared to the rest of the developed world. We now produce more per person and work more hours than any other developed country in the world (Those who can find work). We are being sold a false bill of goods only to help the top richest 1%. Our mainstream media, “Corporate owned and controlled" Murdock said it best. OWS’ movement primary demand should be to get rid of legalized bribery, campaign finance, and all the problems will start going away. The answers to most every problem we have in this country and the world are out there, but you will not hear or see them in their proper context with this currently biased system.
Campaign financing for every level of government must be limited to public financing. The giving of private donations must be prohibited by law with stiff penalties attached. All elected officials must be limited to two terms in office. This also needs to apply to SCOTUS. All elected and appointed officials who complete their terms are to be prohibited by law from ever lobbying our government. Government regulators are to be prohibited from being hired by the industry they regulated. When we pass this reform the 99% will for the first time in US history have a level playing field.
We are the Wall Street Protestors. Existence, as you know it, is over. We will add your Fiscal and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."
A solid first step in fixing our economic and political woes is to disqualify any person worth more than two million dollars from holding political office. The rich are too corrupted by greed to be an any benefit to the community generally. Putting the rich in government is like turning over the reins of power to a bunch of felons. The American middle class, the true creator of jobs and wealth, should control the government for the people. I look forward to some politician proposing this amendment before the greed of the already wealthy completely destroys our democratic way of life, economy and values. The foundation of our nation is not capitalism but democracy in the form of a Republic. Capitalism is nowhere even mentioned in the American Constitution. Capitalism is a tool of democracy to generate wealth and prosperity. Democracy should not be the tool of capitalism to generate wealth for a few. Capitalism is a beast that must be harnessed to pull the plow for the well-being of humanity. Now is an historic opportunity for hard-working and creative middle class Americans to assert their majority rights against a corrupt and ineffective elite who have brought the country to the brink of ruin.
I think the reality is that what is happening now has always been happening. The people who and the descendents of the first claims to the earth have always exploited, marginalized and indentured the poor into servitude. The money is being held so tightly fisted now by the dominants and backed up by their cronies (governments) and thugs (enforcers) that people are being squeezed out with nowhere to turn. How can you access food without access to the only unit of trade there is, the monetary unit. It's like saying to people that they should just slither off and die somewhere quietly as not to disturb the so called normalcy, this is an inhumane system of authority that is in every country whether developed or undeveloped. They tell you how good you have it here because at that moment well maybe you just happen to have enough to pay your bills and a bit of disposable income.
They teach you that it's better to beg than to steal, all the while they steal from you, they've stolen the earth, they rent it out for their own enrichment, and if you stand up against them, they lock you in their prisons or inflict bodily and emotional harm on you.
Just because you have enough, doesn't mean the society is okay. It doesn't mean there is a society because we are expendable here.
NO ONE OWNS THE EARTH, that includes so called green and socially conscious people as well in their million dollar condos.
What gives Poland Springs the right to sell that water, what happens when all the water is for sale and you can't buy it? What happens to even you Williamsburg hipsters when you can't afford the rent in Bushwick anymore?
Don't you people get it? You know in Norway everyone has the legal right to a roof overhead and a poverty level wage at least, even if you work full time, if yu don't have enough you are entitled to subsidies and you know what, you get it too without being demeaned because they believe in basic human dignity and an equal .
I'm not a violent person, and theorethicaly don't believe in stealing but when everything has been stolen from me and nothing else is left, it's either fight, or lay down and die!
Vive Le Mode Anarchy!
@ Lupe, I disagree
Anonymous Is right On! The Entire Global Operating System is Obsolete! End of Story! The moment we start opening ourselves up to negotiation is the moment WE The People will have lost. We are NOT here to Negotiate!!! Either the System OBEY US and SUBMIT to US or WE Destroy the System!!!!!
as in Independent sidenote: this is what Ron Paul's Entire Modus Operandi is, i.e. Destroy the System and Restore America
@ Lupe, We're Aren't Interested in Capitalism: Capitalism is as archaic and obsolete as is the Caveman. In fact, WE don't even care if the system listens to us or not, because WE're NOT taking NO for an ANSWER!!!!!
Well said and glad to see some one else here saying the same thing i have been. "We are NOT here to Negotiate!!! Either the System OBEY US and SUBMIT to US or WE Destroy the System!!!!!"
I'm no Paul fanatic, not by any means but this part of your message, i agree with 100%. Were done playing the games and were done trying to get broken politicians to fix a broken system. We will do it our self and if they don't like it, to damn bad !
Stay strong my friend. =)
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Do all what ever good little things you can do but that is not all we people want.
The DOJ was running guns into Mexico, while campaigning against our individual gun rights (blaming us for Mexico's gun violence). Eric Holder has blatantly been advocating "Racial Justice" for blacks only. You wan't this guys department to investigate fraud in Washington, lol? You think Obama is going to do anything to help solve the problem of corruption in Washington? During his campaign he talked about respecting our privacy, ending war, and not taking money from lobbyists, but has received more money from Wallstreet than any other candidate. The only presidential candidate that isn't in bed with the lobbyists is R P* (Sorry, but OWS is censoring him from the site) Are OWS organizers working for Obama? Sounds like it!
How about End The Fed.
Here is a quick overview of what I saw at Occupy LA yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAybyOxQeg4
Ill be there
Can't make New York. Planning for Oct. 6. october2011.org. But Kansas City has a Fed, right?
Foolish.......best wishes charging windmills........
Want a real education...read the blog on www.thebigturds.com
Since the final loss of our economic freedom and our other freedoms started with them pulling off 911 and starting the incredibly profitably "war of terror" why don't we ask: "Give us a list of everyone who profitted from the 911 attacks?" That would be a start. Americans cannot truly wake up until they realize THAT reality.
PECORA 2, NOW! PECORA 2, NOW! PECORA 2, NOW! It's the ultimate threat to Wall St. and corrupt politicians,it will strike fear into their hearts. It needs to be done!
look what people dont realize is that the government is going to do somethinh to distract us from sep 17, there going to have another scandal similar to the casey anthony trial. its stupid and pointless. the government is scared. if they wernt then they wouldnt do anything to stop us. See you soon wall street
We need to hold power accountable at all time, As an Anarchist I believe that all Authority is unjustified by natural assumption, and that it is the responsibility of institutions whom wield power to justify themselves, and if the cant then they should be dismantled. Wall street is another example of unjustified authority and I think it is obvious that the capitalist system which Wall Street represents has failed to justify its authority therefore it must be dismantled. Power in essence in achieved by denying one person's rights in favour of increasing another person's rights. Take the Strauss Kahn or Pal Ceglia case. In the Strauss Kahn case as soon as there was a flaw in the evidence presented by the non-powerful victim , the judge through the case out in favour of a man of power, Take a look at the Paul Ceglia case ! A man with legitimate claims backed up by solid evidence, But because he is taking on a power machine like Facebook he has being personally discredited by the media and power which has resulted in his evidence being discredited in the public eye, even thou he has more evidence to back his claims than Facebook does. It is time to dismantle the institutions of injustice and put the power into the hands of the working people !
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Say hi to Bill Ayers
I agree with this. No more "overthrow capitalism". I'm tired of that. (I may AGREE WITH IT, but espousing it as a goal achievable via Wall St. occupation is absurd.) I hope we can decide on something practical, and do it quickly. This is the moment when this whole thing could shit the bed and die. We need to decide on something practical and do it fast. Please god, don't use consensus process. PLEASE.
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